Name

(The interview continued.)

After a brief moment of silence, the middle age manager resumed his frozen smile. He stood up, lean forward, and passed the tiny yellow object in his hand to K.

"Well, what do you make out of this?" The manager asked.

K turned the plastic bird over and looked at it from another angle. In no time he took a deep breathe and exclaimed, "Why! It is a pencil sharpener!"

"Good. Is it your verdict?" M pushed again.

"Yes...?" K was puzzled.

"No," the manager suddenly became serious, "Gentleman, we are happy to have you as one of us. But, in order to conform to our system, you must learn to call this object - and anything else - properly."

"And, what is the proper way?" The interviewee asked.

"You can refer to this guide," M gave the young man a five-inch-thick volume, "For that little object in your hand, when you fill up the form for our department, you have to state it is a pencil sharpener, dash plastic, dash duckling, and, then, in the check box of auxiliary function, click yes, and then choose toy."

The young man collapsed on to the floor and had a seizure.